Line grip or holder.



Patented June' u, |901` T. C. NEWLQN. una am?" 0R Homan.

(Application led Feb. 2S, 1901.)

(In Modal.)

/ INVENTOR.

@72mm @a M TTORNEY.

UNITED STATES vvPATENT @Tricia THADDEUS C. NEWLON, OF DOWNS, KANSAS.

LINE GRIP OR HOLDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No.. 676,390, dated J une11, 1901.

l Application led February 23, 1901. Serial Nol 48,614. (No model.) l

T all whom, t may con/cerro:

Beit known that I, THADDEUS C. NEWLON, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, residing at Downs, in the county of Osborne and State ofKansas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Line Gripsor Holders; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, andexact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilledin the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figuresof reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to improvements in -line grips or holders adaptedfor use by teamsters and otherswho may have occasion to leave theirteams, my object being to provide a device adapted to be attached to thewagon or vehicle within convenient reach of the driver and constructedto hold the lines in any desired position of adjustment, whereby thedriver may temporarily leave his team with perfect safety, since thedevice will hold the lines so tightly that the horses cannot straightenthe slackened traces of the harness in the drivers absence.

My further object is to provide a device of this class which shall besimple in construction, economical in cost, exceedingly durable invuse,and notliable to get easily out of repair.

To these ends the invention consists of the features hereinafterdescribed and claimed, all of which.will be fully understood byreference to the accompanying drawings, in which is llustrated anembodiment thereof.

In the drawings, Figure l is a perspective view illlustrating myimproved device in use. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the grip orholder proper detached from its support or shank. Figs. 3 anda arefragmentary views illustrating the manner of constructing the device.Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view similar to Fig. 1, but showing the twomembers of the gripping device drawn tightly together with the lines inplace, while in Fig. 1 the loop of the lines is shown loose tofacilitate clearness of illustration.

The same referencecharacters indicate the same parts in all the views.

Let the numeral 5 designatea shank composed of a piece of metal ofsuitable strength and of any desired length adapted to be attached tothe dashboard or to the side of the wagon-box, within easy reach of thedriver, by passing screws or bolts through the openings 5a formedtherein. Upon the upper part of this shank is formed a shoulder 5C, andextending upward from this shoulder is a threaded reduced portion 5d.Uponthis threaded por tion and engaging the shoulder 5c is placed awasher 6, While immediately above this washer is located a number ofwire convolu-v tions forrning a part of the gripping device proper.Above the gripping device is located another washer 7,while above thislast-named washer and engaging the same is located a nut 8, above whichis placeda jam-nut 9. In the upper extremity of the threaded part 5d isformed a transverse opening, in whichmay be inserted a key 10,.ifdesired, though ordinarily the jam-nut will be found sufficient.

The gripping device 12 is formed from a single piece of Wire andconsists of a number of convolutions 12, a closed loop 12"-, a part 12d,extending along one arm of the loop upwardly inside of this arm, forminga part 12g, and then downwardly on the outside of lthe loop-arm, asshown at 12h, to a position below the loop, when another bend is formedand the wire carried transversely beneath the loop and in the rear ofits forward extremity, as shown at 12j, to a position outside theloop-arm 12, when another bend is formed and the wire carried rearwardlyor toward the shank 5 a short distance, as shown at 12, and finally bentinwardly, terminating a short distance inside the loop, as shown at 12m.The convolutions 12a of the device pass around the shank part 5, betweenthe Washers 6 and 7, forming a sort of bearing or hub arranged to turnon the shank part. The ease with which .the device turns on its shank orsupport is regulated by the adjustingnut S.

vIn forming the device the wire is first coiled around the stem 5d ofthe shank, as shown at A, Fig. 3, and then carried outwardly, formingthe loop-arm 121, and rearwardly, forming the opposite loop-arm B, whichis broken in Fig. 3 and continued in Fig. 4, forming another coil C andterminating in a IOO hook I), which is fastened to the arm 12`l at thecoiled bearing 12% The formation of the other parts has already beendescribed in detail.

In applying the lines 13 and 14 to the device their buckled or otherwisefastened extremities are formed into a loop E. (See Fig. 1..) A loop Fis then formed. The lines are then held in the hand with the loop Euppermost, while the loopFis passed down through the opening of the wireloop 12, slipped onto the hook 12m, and thence to the part 12J, the loopE being turned during the operation to occupy the position shown inFig. 1. The lines 13 and 14;, leading to the heads of the horses, (notshown,) are then supposed to be drawn taut (see Fig. 5) and the loop F'clasped between the part 12-i and the outerextremity of the wire loop12C. The part 12g allows the part 12j to extend far enough below theloop 12v to' make room for the lines, whether two, four, or six areemployed. The part 12j is normally spring-held below the loop 12,substantially as shown in the drawings. The part 12d, being passed up onone side of the arm B to form the part 12g and then down on the otherside, causes the two members of the device to maintain their properrelative position. The part 12n passes outside of the loop far enough toprevent the said part from passing upwardly inside the loop under anycircumstances. This is necessary, otherwise the device would beinoperative, or at least partially so. Vhen the lines are in theposition as before described, they are securely held as adjusted, and apull on either line separately or both lines simultaneously only drawsthe lines tighter and causes them to be more firmly gripped by myimproved device. If the horses turn to one side or the other, the deviceturns on its shank, as heretofore explained, and the pull is alwaysstraight or in line with the position of the device.

I-Ia'ving thus described my invention, what I claim is- 1. In a linegrip or holder the combination with a suitable stationary support, of anupright shank suitably secured thereto, a loop attached to the shank andprojecting outwardly therefrom, and a coperating member also attached tothe shank and extending outwardly from the same, and transversely of theloop in proximity to its forward extremity, :finally terminating in afree extremity upon which the loop of the lines is adapted to slip andpass to position,whereby they are gripped and securely held by the twoparts of the device.

2. In a line-grip the combination of au upright supporting shank, orrod, aloop attached thereto and extending outwardly therefrom, a`cooperating member also extending outwardly from the shank, its forwardportion extending transversely of the loop and below the same, andprovided with a free extremity upon which the loop of the lines may beslipped to position.

3. In a line-grip the combination of an upright shank, a loop attachedthereto and extending therefrom, a coperatingspring-held member alsoextending outwardly from the l shank to which it is attached, itsforward portion extending transversely of the loop and below the same,and provided with a free extremity upon which the loop of the linesmaybe slipped to position.

4. In a line grip or holder', the combination with a suitable support,of a loop extending,

outwardly from said support, and a coperating member also extendingoutwardly from the support, upwardly inside of the loop, f

4extending outwardly to form a closed loop,

and again'outwardly'and up inside of the loop and above the same,downwardly outside of the loop, transversely in proximity to thefrontend of the loop, and rearwardly toward the shank or support, andlfinally inwardly where it terminates.

6. In a line grip or holder the combination of a threaded shank providedwith a shoulder above which projects a stud provided with two separatedwashers, a line grip or holder attached to said stud between thewashers, and a nut secured on the stem above the uppermost washer, theline-grip comprising a loop projecting outwardly, and a coperatingmember also extending outwardly from the shank and transversely of theloop in proximity to its forward extremity, finally terminating in afree extremity upon which the loop of the lines is adapted to slip andpass to posit-ion, whereby they are gripped and securely held in place.

7. The combination of a threaded shank provided with a shoulder above-whieh projects a stem provided with two separated Washers, a line gripor holder mounted on the stem, and arranged to turn thereon between thewashers, and suitable means located above the uppermost washer forholding the grip in place, the said grip comprising a loop projectingoutwardly from the shank, and a coperating member also extendingoutwardly from the shank and transversely of the loop in proximity toits forward extremity, finally terminating in a free .extremity uponwhich the loop of the lines is adapted to slip and pass to position,whereby they are gripped and securely held in place.

8. The combination of a shank or support having a shoulder and athreaded stem extending above the shoulder,- of two washers TOO mountedon the stem, and a li ne grip or holder composed of wire coiled aroundthe stem between the washers and comprising two members, oonsistingof aloop extending outwardly from the shank, the other member extendingoutwardly along one side of the loop, upwardly inside the loop,downwardly outside the loop,aoross beneath the front of the loop,

